The present invention relates generally to a wheel chock device arranged to be releasably secured to a vehicle wheel, such as a trailer wheel, whenever the vehicle is left unattended for extended periods of time. The device is accordingly arranged to temporarily encumber the normal rotation of the vehicle wheel so as to discourage unauthorized operation of the vehicle.
Locking wheel chock devices have been utilized in the past to encumber movement of vehicles including self-propelled vehicles as well as trailer vehicles. Recently, a need has developed for a light-weight but yet reliable wheel chock device for releasable mounting upon a vehicle wheel. A typical application of such a device is on a boat trailer, snowmobile trailer, or other like device which may be left unattended for various intervals of time. Uses for such devices are indicated both during the on-season and the off-season. For example, a boat owner may store his boat in the out-of-doors at his residence, but wishes to have a wheel chock device coupled to at least one of the wheels in order to encumber normal rotation thereof. Also, during the on-season, the owner of a boat trailer or snowmobile trailer may wish to utilize such a wheel chock device at times when the vehicle is left unattended, such as at an access point to a lake or other area where the towed mechanized article may be used.
In order to provide such a device which is both light-weight and reliable, an enclosure means is provided which includes a generally triangular wedge-shaped solid block with closed opposed end walls enclosing a closed ramping surface. The ramping surface is designed to be positioned in contact with the arcuate surface of the vehicle tire being encumbered. The leg surfaces of the wedge-shaped solid block comprise opposed flange elements which extend inwardly from each of the opposed triangular end walls. A pair of aligned bores are formed within the triangular shaped end walls so as to accommodate a generally "U"-shaped wheel-engaging jaw element therewithin. The jaw element is provided with a number of mating bores for accommodating the shackle of a padlock therewithin so as to secure the jaw in closed disposition about the vehicle wheel. The triangular end walls further include inwardly extending opposed flange elements so as to define a gap zone therebetween. The gap zone is adapted to permit the user to place the padlock in position on the telescopically engaged jaw segments so as to complete the wheel encumbering operation. In this arrangement, the gap zone formed between the opposed flange elements is designed to prevent ease of ingress of a force-applying lever such as a crowbar or the like. Essentially, firm or fixed leverage cannot be readily achieved due to the presence of the vehicle tire adjacent the wedge-shaped solid enclosure.